Gone But Not Forgotten
by mellehz
Summary: Will left Elizabeth two years ago to sail with Jack, but little did he know, he left her with a little present, named Luke. What will happen when he returns? COMPLETE!
1. Sour Memories

**New story! FWEEE XD I'm making Will mean in this one. Sort of. At least from Liz's POV. Well, it _is _an angsty story ya know! Dont like it? Dont read it. Simple XP **

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter One: Sour Memories**_  
_

_So this is the path you have chosen?" Elizabeth barely heard her father utter those words, for she was far too consumed by the depths of Will's piercing gaze transfixed upon her own, " After all, he is a blacksmith."_

"_No. He's a pirate." Elizabeth's breath hitched in her throat as the love her life, her William, leaned forward and finally kissed her. It was dizzying; a mark of the love the two harboured for each other that would never die._

_Elizabeth's hand, the one that clutched Will's feather-brimmed hat, fell to her side as the warmth of his lips consumed her. Will's hand moved up to cup her cheek, and Elizabeth thought her legs would buckle under her. His palm was surprisingly gentle, even though it was rough from his work at the Smithy. More importantly, her cheek fit snugly in his palm, something that the two would never forget._

_She thought the happiness would never die. She thought they would live forever in blissful delight, like the day at the fort where they had kissed for the first time. Oh how she was wrong._

"Pirate…" Elizabeth whispered bitterly into the sheer darkness of her room, rolling onto her stomach and burying her head in the soft pillow. Once again, the tears started falling. She didn't think they ever stopped, ever since he left over three years ago. That bloody bastard, for lack of a better term, had run off to become a part of Jack's crew. He apparently needed adventure, as he said in the note, and needed to find his place in the world.

Elizabeth's eyes stung painfully as she thought about him, but not as much as her heart throbbed every waking hour of the day. Liar. If he had asked Elizabeth to come with him, she would have gladly obliged. Because Elizabeth worshipped that man, that bloody man that was her husband, that man who stole her heart and ripped it to shreds. Every single night, Elizabeth cried herself to sleep thinking about Will; what he was doing at that moment, or if he was even alive. And that night was no exception. Elizabeth cried until her eyes burned, her sobs the only sounds coming from the otherwise silent house.

That was until the screams of an infant interrupted her distressed state. Elizabeth sniffed and wiped her eyes, rolling onto her back, her shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping her sobs contained. Sitting up, she reached for her robe and draped it over her shoulders before getting up and exiting her room.

_"Oh Governor Swann sir, she's contractin', Elizabeth's contractin'!" Rose the maid shouted as she ran down to meet the Governor in the hallway. He had come home from a business trip a few days early to be with Elizabeth for the birth. Evidently, it hadn't been early enough, for as soon as he walked through the door he found out his daughter was in labor already._

"_Take me to her!" He demanded, following Rose upstairs to his daughter's bedroom, his wig almost flying off his head._

_Elizabeth was lying in her four-poster bed, propped up by a stack of pillows. Rose bustled around the room, dipping a cloth in cold water to ease Elizabeth's slight headache. She looked up when her father entered, a mixture of fear, excitement and gratitude shining in her eyes._

"_I leave for a few days and come back to this debacle." He joked, trying to lighten the tense mood in the air._

_Elizabeth winced and cried out as another contraction hit her, making Weatherby rush to her side, "My dear, what happened?" Clearly Weatherby couldn't remember his wife's own labor._

_"It hurts father, it hurts…" She clutched at her stomach, breathing heavily in and out, as she willed the intense pain to go away for the umpteenth time that evening._

"_They appear to be getting quicker, it's almost time now miss," Mary the midwife smiled and wiped Elizabeth's brow with another damp cloth to ease her perspiration. She then ushered Governor Swann out the room to prepare for the birth, much to his dismay. "It won't do the young lady any good with her father hovering over her like a hawk." She insisted._

_Elizabeth was so frightened; she didn't want to do it alone. She wanted her husband there, holding her hand, comforting her while she took the step into motherhood. She was also intensely afraid that she wouldn't make it out of the birth alive. She had heard that there was a considerable risk to the woman at birth; after all, her own mother had died giving birth to her. Elizabeth knew she had to make it, for her child's sake. After all, there was no father, as much as she wished there was._

"_Alright now, on the count of three, I want you to push. One, two…three!"_

_Elizabeth screamed as she pushed as hard as she could, again and again. The pain was almost unbearable, and she thought she'd surely pass out from the pressure. A mixture of sweat and tears dripped down her red cheeks as she collapsed backwards, not having any determination to continue._

"_Will, Will…Will!" she cried out and started sobbing, Mary urging for her to start pushing once again._

"_No, I can't, I can't do it. Will, please help me, please Will help me!" She screamed, thrashing her arms almost violently. Rose had to hold her down, "Come on now Elizabeth, you can do it, just one last push!"_

_Elizabeth screamed and pushed as hard as she could. It was definitely the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. The cries of a newborn filled the air as Elizabeth collapsed back against the pillows, absolutely exhausted. She'd done it; she'd given birth. It was everything she had imagined it to be except for one thing; Will wasn't there to share the joy. _

"_Tis a healthy baby boy. Congratulations!" Mary chimed, holding the crying child and reaching for some surgical scissors, to cut the umbilical cord. Elizabeth gave a weak smile as the midwife handed over her son, now wrapped in some warm blankets. She had made it; she had made it and both she and her son was healthy._

"_What be his name, miss?" Rose asked, smiling as Elizabeth cooed at the pink and wrinkled being in her arms, cradling him against her chest._

"_Luke." she replied and kissed him on the forehead._

_Luke was a name she and Will had agreed that was suitable when they were casually talking about baby names._

"Shhh Luke, please go to sleep!" Elizabeth rocked the now two-and-a-half year old Luke in her arms. He was acting up again, something he loved to do these days.

She couldn't deny it had been exceptionally hard without Will there to bring up their child. It also didn't help that her father wanted to marry her off to the next respectable suitor to walk through the door, which had irritated her to no end. She always politely declined; firmly believing her husband would be returning someday and everything would be back to normal…even after her father's firm believing that she could not bring up the boy by herself.

It had been a huge struggle raising a child with only her father for support. The first months or so was the worst, just settling into the whole routine of things. Sleep was lost, as she had to constantly wake at all hours of the night, to comfort Luke, or feed him, or change him. Just recently the bags under her eyes had just started to fade, as Luke was able to start sleeping through the night. This made things easier, but it was still hard in a sense. Especially when they went out. The townspeople would stare and whisper the most horrible and hurtful things, which made Elizabeth boil with rage.

"Na! Na, Na, NA!" Luke screamed defiantly and buried his head in her neck.

"You'll never grow up big and strong if you don't sleep." She looked down and saw he was sucking his thumb, "Right, you want a story, don't you?" She had to grin as he clapped his hands in excitement, nodding his head.

Little Luke was a stubborn one when it came to getting him off to bed, but tell him a story late at night and he usually fell right asleep within minutes. Elizabeth took comfort in that. She bundled him up in her lap and sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of his little bedroom, beginning to move her legs.

"All right, once upon a time, there was a man called William Turner. He was just a blacksmith, a good respectable man who obeyed the law, but one day he had to turn Pirate to rescue a beautiful princess. He had a little secret; he was madly in love with that princess, and once he rescued her, they married. He couldn't stop his fascination with sailing and the ocean, so one day, when the princess was sleeping, he ran away!" Elizabeth smiled at her son, who was hanging on her every word.

"The princess was very upset, but waited for him to return, because she still loved him very much. After a while he did come back, and they had two sons and two daughters. And they lived happily ever after."

Elizabeth stared out the window for a moment before she kissed the sleepy Luke on the forehead and put him down in his bed, "Sleep well, Luke." She pulled the covers up to his waist and sighed, walking out of his room to her own, shutting the door behind her.

Every single time she told that story, which was a lot because it was his favourite kind, she never got a wink of sleep afterwards. Instead, she lay awake, staring out of the window into nothingness, occasionally stepping out on her balcony to watch the ebb and flow of the tide and the moon.

Perhaps she was waiting for him to return, perhaps she really believed that saying he returned in the story would make him return in reality. Regardless, he was a ghost that haunted her. The nights were the worst; she found herself yearning for him worse than ever, because she felt so incredibly lonely without him.

She writhed and ached to feel his body next to hers, to lean into the warmth his chest provided. She longed to feel his arms around her, his lips leaving no soft corner or crevice of her body untouched. Her stomach jolted and she moaned, remembering how they used to join, pressing their sweaty bodies tightly together, each craving to reach a place only the other could provide…

Elizabeth groaned and shook herself out of the reverie. She sighed and wandered out to her balcony, pulling her robe tighter around her as the wind whipped at her face. _How could you do this to me, Will, how could you? _That was a perpetual question that never left her head, no matter how hard she tried.

She started sobbing again, burying her head in her hands as she leaned against the balustrade of the balcony. The sobs turned to almost violent shuddering as she attempted to gain control of her body once again.

A twig snapped which startled Elizabeth. She sniffed and peered out over the balcony into the yard, almost curiously, as she squinted in the darkness. A dark blob seemed to dart from behind a tree and run to her gate. She frowned as it jumped over and slinked into the yard, disappearing under her balcony, out of sight. She then heard the front door creak open and close again.

_You imbecile, how could you forget to lock it?_ She gasped, fear gripping her. There was an intruder in her home and she was a woman with a young child…what was she to do? Without a second thought she ran from the balcony to fetch the sword Will had crafted, situated on the wall on a plaque. Luckily, Will had given her a few lessons on how to wield a sword, so she was fairly confident she could at least intimidate the intruder, even if she didn't need to actually use the weapon.

After all, a woman with a sword was a scary sight.

**There! How was it?**


	2. A Not So Happy Reunion

**This just poured out of me! You can really see the difference between the first chapter and this chapter, description wise. I'm much more descriptive nowdays, able to form paragraphs easier. My writing has really gotten better. That makes me so happy! Anyways, enjoy!**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Two: A Not So Happy Reunion  
**

The dark figure of a man slipped quietly through the doors of the two-story home, squinting in the darkness as he tried to get his bearings. Three years was far too long to remember such intimate details as where the coffee table was currently situated. Banging his leg hard on the wood he groaned and bit down hard on his bottom lip to prevent a yell escaping his throat. He had to be as silent as possible as to not wake Elizabeth. He didn't wish to startle her any more than he probably would if she came trotting down the stairs this very instance and spotted him.

He felt his way through the lounge room and into the dining room, his searching hands preventing any further connections with furniture against his already bruised leg. He tried to remember which way the kitchen was, which was very hard considering he was in pitch darkness. Eventually finding the right path, he entered the kitchen and went searching for a cloth to dampen with water, to ease the pain of his bruises.

He didn't notice a figure slowly walking towards him, sword raised on guard to use if the intruder so much as stepped a toe out of line.

"Who goes there?" Elizabeth boomed, seeing the dark figure stiffen at her voice, "I have a sword, so much as move and I will strike you through so fast, you won't have time to see the face of your killer before you fall down dead."

Elizabeth had a son to protect, and she would be damned if she was going to let the fear currently gnawing at her insides overpower her.

Even though her words were harsh and threatening, they were music to William Turner's ears. He had craved to hear her voice for so long. He would lie awake at night and try to remember her sweet melody to help him drift off to sleep.

"It's me," he whispered, "Elizabeth…it's me."

He winced as he heard a crash. Elizabeth had dropped the sword in utter shock. He couldn't even see her face, but the crash suggested this wouldn't be a very happy reunion. He had been gone for three years. Three years too long by both his and her count.

Elizabeth immediately rushed to the drawer which she new concealed the candles. She fumbled for the matches in the dark, her shaking hands not helping the task at all. Eventually the candles were lit and she gasped at the sight before her.

There stood Will Turner in all his glory. But by god, he was different. She could hardly recognize his face. He had grown out his beard considerably, enough to weave a braid through for sure, even though there were none. His hair hung low, slightly past his shoulders. It was there that resided a braid. It was intricately detailed, weaved tightly through his hair, almost like a mark, a tattoo of some sorts.

Her piercing gaze moved to his clothing, quite noticeably, the clothing of a Pirate. She stared incredulously at the ripped shirt, faded to grey and smudged with dirt. It was tucked into a belt adorned with weapons, and she stared uneasily at the pistol and what appeared to be a cutlass. Her eyes kept traveling down, past his blackened trousers to his boots. They looked exactly like the pair Jack wore three years ago when he had sailed off with her husband.

As her eyes settled over his face again, she was drawn to the many scars littering his cheeks and neck. She winced as she stole a glance at a particularly nasty gash right in the middle of his chest, between his nipples, exposed from his open shirt.

As much as she wanted to run to him, gather him in her arms and kiss him like she longed to do every day since they parted, her instincts told her to refrain from doing so. There had to be a reason why he was here. There had to be some agenda, otherwise he wouldn't have returned. She knew him too well, and when he was enjoying something so much (for instance, crafting swords, like he used to do every day before he left) he wouldn't let anything get in the way of that. And since he enjoyed Pirating and sailing with Jack, she couldn't help but think why the hell he was back here, in her kitchen.

Gathering confidence, she took a step towards him. "Why are you here?" she asked almost coldly, tears begging to be released; but she would not let them.

"Elizabeth…I had to come back. I had to see you. How have you been?"

His question sent anger seething through her veins. _How had she been? _Was that all he had to say after three years of absence?

"Don't you dare, Will Turner, don't you dare!" she was desperately trying to keep her cool but she found she couldn't. He needed to be shouted at.

"You left me alone here, for three years, and all you have to say to me is _how have you been_? How do you think I've been, hmm?" she couldn't help but raise her voice slightly.

He looked down at his feet, his boots reminding him of his disgrace. "I'm sorry…" He whispered, barely audible over her infuriated breathing.

That was it; she snapped. Walking squarely up to him, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across his face, leaving a red mark.

"Don't you DARE say sorry to me, you bloody bastard!" She spat.

Will cupped his now burning cheek, hurt and torment and even anger washing over his usually calm and humble face.

"All I got was a note! Needed adventure, says you? Needed to find your place in the world? What about your place _here, _by my side, as my HUSBAND!" she shouted, "Or did you forget about the vows we shared at our wedding? Oh I remember it now, " She said bitterly, "Utter bull, you saying you'd always love and care for me, and be by my side through the good and bad times!"

"I never lied about that!" He finally found his voice, "I never lied to you Elizabeth! When I left, I left with a heavy heart! I was still in love with you, and I still am! I just needed to go out and see the world!"

"And now you're back! FOR WHAT?" she nearly slapped him again.

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" He raised his voice at her, something he'd never done in his entire life.

"There's nothing here for you, Will. When you left, you lost me! That's it!" Finally, the tears that had been prickling to be released came rolling down her cheeks.

"NO! It's not over!" He grabbed her shoulders almost roughly.

"LET GO OF ME!" She was immensely afraid he would use one of the weapons on her. Normally, she never had to worry about Will turning on her. He was always so compassionate and caring towards her, and she felt safe within his presence. But now, she was not sure at all.

"TELL ME YOU DON'T LOVE ME!" He was firm with her, shaking her shoulders slightly, "YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND YOU TELL ME YOU DON'T LOVE ME!"

She struggled, whimpering slightly as she sobbed, shaking involuntarily in his grasp. Compared to Will's stature she was obviously weaker, even though she hated to admit it.

"Tell me." He repeated, almost in a whisper.

Elizabeth was so sure a few minutes ago that she could easily look him in the eyes and tell him to get out of her life for good. But now, she found that she could not. Thoughts of all the sleepless nights she lay awake pining for him to return kept haunting her, as did all the pain and sorrow she harboured. And as she stared deep into Will's russet orbs, she felt all her anger and resentment slipping away.

Will shook his head and crushed his lips over hers, giving into months of torture. He longed to feel her lips against his every night aboard The Pearl. The calm they provided. The passion and love…the softness and tenderness of her kisses.

Elizabeth gave into months and months of yearning and wrapped her arms around his neck, crashing her body against his almost roughly. Her lips moved over his almost like a machine, desperate to feel more of the warmth his mouth provided.

Will's tongue pressed the opening of her mouth and she instantly parted her lips, granting him access eagerly. He slid his tongue in; groaning as he stroked her perfectly lined teeth before settling over her own tongue. Their tongues rubbed and caressed each other for minutes on end, making up for all the time lost to the wretched sea that caused so many problems.

Elizabeth's arms wrapped securely around his neck, holding him to her tightly, afraid to let go incase she lost him again. And she would be damned if she let that happen.

Elizabeth suddenly remembered something of high importance and she pulled away, touching her lips gently for a moment.

"Will…there's something I have to tell you…" she started, unsure of how to tell him about their son, currently sleeping contentedly upstairs.

Will's eyes were soft, looking her over properly for the first time since she lit the candle. "My god Elizabeth, you're even more beautiful than I remembered…" He was silenced with a finger to his lips.

"Please Will, this is important." Her eyes pleaded with him to listen and he nodded.

"Three years ago…you left me with a little going away present."

Confused, Will's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, darling?"

"The last night we spent together…the last night we made love…I found out a week later, Will."

His eyes widened at the realization that he fathered a child. "Elizabeth, you mean to say…I have a child?"

She nodded. "A son…Luke. He's two-and-a-half already."

"Oh my god…" Will paced the kitchen, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Oh my god…oh my god…"

"Stop saying oh my god, and listen to me," she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I want to see him. I need to see him!"

She shook her head, "I'm afraid I can't allow that. Not yet, at least. He's still very young Will; he does not understand that you have returned and that you're his father. He hasn't even met you before. He won't know who you are."

"You mean to tell me you're keeping me from seeing my own son?" He asked, incredibly hurt.

"No, Will," she shook her head, "I just need more time…_we_ need more time. We have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe in a few days, when this has all blown over."

With that, she took his hand, a little cautiously even, and led him up to her bedroom. _Their_ bedroom.

"By the way Will, I'm terribly sorry for slapping you."

**Like it? Hope so! **


	3. The Talk

**This chapter is dedicated to my bestest best friend in the whole wide world Atiqah! Happy bday hun! -hugs-**

**So not much to say about this one, it's more filling in a few gaps and stuff before I introduce Luke again.**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Three: The Talk**

As Will entered their bedroom for the first time in three years, lots of memories were playing over in his mind. Most were good. Nights of kisses, embraces and love making, of touching and warmth. Nights of sheets, blankets and soft pillows for tired heads to rest upon.

It was rare that the both of them acknowledged the fact that they each had a side to call their own on their king size bed; sleeping consisted of their arms wrapped around each other in the middle of the bed, or on the occasion, huddled to one of the sides.

There were also the bad memories. Of fights and anger, and stupidity. He could remember one incident where he had come home drunk. Elizabeth had almost sent him packing when he waltzed into their room, boasting how many strumpets had sat on his lap within the tavern in town.

It was these moments that left him full of regret. He wished that he had been the perfect husband all the time. He wished he hadn't caused her such pain, even with minor things like not remembering to make the bed, or forgetting to leave his dirty boots outside on the porch instead of in the hallway.

And his regret escalated when he noticed that everything in their bedroom was just the way he remembered it. Why he felt regret for that? He didn't know.

Their bed was situated in the middle of the room, the light from the moon outside seeping onto the soft sheets draped over the mattress. Each of their side tables was adorned with ornaments and candles.

Elizabeth walked to the one farthest from the window and lit up the set of candles scattered on the wooden surface of the table. They lit up the room so Will could get a better look at the familiar furniture they had picked out together not days before their wedding.

He smiled fondly at the set of drawers opposite their bed. Four sets, Elizabeth had insisted upon having the top two drawers. Not wanting to disappoint his new bride, Will happily agreed, and found his back paining him when he had to bend down to rifle through them every morning at five o'clock before work. Not that he complained, however, he was very much passive, and grew used to it with time.

Walking up to it, he ran his index finger along the flat surface, surprised to find no traces of dust particles or any signs of dirt or grime. He bent down and opened the bottom two drawers. They were filled with things for their son, not his clothing. Not unexpected, really, for he hadn't thought she would keep the rest of his clothes left behind when he sailed.

He couldn't help his eyes watering as he looked over the things. In the top drawer was Luke's clothing; little outfits, socks and booties, bonnets and tiny shoes. In the bottom drawer were toys, rattles and games, books and stuffed animals.

"They're in the wardrobe," Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest, "Your clothes. I needed a place to put Luke's things. And since…you weren't here, I used your drawer space."

Will nodded mutely, fingering a little sock and picking it up, "Was he really this tiny?" he asked in a soft voice, standing up and facing her.

"Yes, Will, he was. But he's gotten much bigger since then. I just like to keep everything…the important things. His current clothes are in his room."

Will put the little sock back and shut the drawers. He walked over to the balcony and looked out to the ocean. It was pitch black, only lit up where the moonlight shined down where the sky met the sea. He couldn't help but think that it was a little symbolic.

"Will…I think we should talk," Elizabeth sat on the end of their bed, "Please."

He nodded, his eyes still drawn to the ocean. He finally tore his eyes away and walked over to Elizabeth, taking a seat beside her. He almost forgot how soft and comfortable their bed was. When he came home from work all those months ago, the thing he craved most was to kick off his boots and cuddle up with Elizabeth on the soft mattress. He wished he could just do it now, but there were things to be dealt with.

"I want you to tell me why you left. And before you say anything, I want the real reason, all right?" she looked at him seriously.

Will opened his mouth to object but seeing the look in her eyes made him shut it again. He nodded.

"Elizabeth, I was bored…" he started, quickly continuing at the sight of her shocked face.

"No… actually, I was restless. The adventure with Jack left me craving more of the sea. They way it ebbs and flows…the way it rocks you unconditionally, even when you're wide-awake and on deck, walking around. When I stepped back on land after our adventure, the ground was so still. I looked back at the docks and watched the ships bobbing up and down in the water. They were moving, even though they were tied down. I wanted to feel that. I wanted to move, even though I had a life here. I wasn't lying when I said I needed to find my place in the world; I've searched for three years, and now I know it is back here with you, and our son. I now know where my place is, Elizabeth, and it is with you."

Elizabeth looked at him, stunned, her eyes growing moist with built up tears. She had no idea what his motivations were for leaving. Until now. She sometimes thought he left out of pure spite. After months of living together, she thought he couldn't take it anymore, and that crushed her inside.

"Will…I had no idea…" she looked away, ashamed of herself, "I thought…you just didn't want to be around me anymore. That you grew tired of me…of our life. I thought…you just left because of me."

Will gathered her tear stricken cheeks in his soft, but rough sea-fared hands, cradling her face in his palms. "Don't you ever, ever think it was because of you that I left. You were, no are, the most loving wife a man could ever have. I appreciated every little thing you did for me, whether it be preparing lunch for me, or putting away my work clothes. You made me feel loved and valued because of your actions, and I'll always be grateful for that. What I did was inexcusable. Leaving you without explaining why properly…it was like I spat on our marriage, and I will never forgive myself for that."

"Will please…don't."

She couldn't stand to hear anymore. To hear such things coming from his lips hurt her even as much as the hurt she felt when he left. To know he was full of regret and that it plagued him pierced her heart.

"I don't want to hear such things. I don't want you to blame yourself anymore…I forgive you, Will."

At her words Will's face lit up. He had never thought that she would be willing to forgive him after everything he had done, but once again she had proved him wrong. She had a tendency to do that a lot, actually; prove him wrong. It started the moment he saw how strong she was aboard _The Black Pearl_ when Barbossa came looking for the medallion. She had put his thoughts to shame when she came to _his_ rescue, to _his_ aid. From then on, he knew he would never underestimate her again.

"You do?" he asked meekly, searching her face for signs of insincerity. He found none.

"Honestly…I'm ready to move on, put all this behind me. Start fresh. I've spent far too many nights bawling my eyes out craving your return. And now that you have…I want to move on."

He looked unsurely at her until she grasped both of his hands, holding them in her lap, "I want to move on with you."

It was then that Will knew the meaning of destiny. His destiny was to remain on land with Elizabeth, raising their child. His destiny was to be happy. When he left to sail with Jack, he thought he could fill the void in his life with the sea. The whole package…the salt, sun, ships, and sea gulls. Everything. That was his destiny three years ago. What he didn't realise was that his destiny had already been fulfilled by marrying Elizabeth and settling down with her. But he knew that now, and wanted to fix the things that were broken, like the many jobs he did at the Smithy. He had to fix this.

But little did he know, it wasn't broken. Not anymore.

"I love you, Will."

That was all the assurances he needed. Those words comforted him like nothing else. Just to hear them come from her lips made the world seem right again.

"I love you too Elizabeth."

Seemingly in unison they leaned forward. Will pressed his lips to hers, soft and tender at first before he moved them only slightly, eliciting a fire in his belly. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her neck and pressed her body closer to the warmth radiating from his chest.

This is what she missed. Without even making love, they could feel intimate and connected. She felt as if her heart was soaring. A feeling she deeply missed.

At that moment, Elizabeth felt as if everything would be all right. Her husband had come home, something she never thought would happen. She thought he was lost forever. He was remorseful, and that lightened the weight off her back. She would have been surprised if he wasn't remorseful. There was only one little factor left that they had to deal with.

Luke.

**Hope you liked!  
**


	4. Man! Man!

**Another chapter down! Yay! Hope you like it. And I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'm trying, lol.**

**And just to let you know, I'm going to re-do chapter one sometime or another. It's atroscious! **

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Four: Man! Man!**

Listening to the birds chirping at five in the morning when the sun rose had been a favourite pastime of Will Turner for the past week. Listening to the thuds and laughter of both Elizabeth and their son Luke had been another favourite pastime of his. Even though he had not been in the same room when little Luke caught a ball for the first time, he had been listening through the thin walls of the guest bedroom and was smiling from ear to ear.

Elizabeth had insisted that they needed more time, that Luke was not ready to meet his long lost father just yet. Will complied, eager to please his wife, and not get into another spot of trouble again. He also didn't want to feel the sting of Elizabeth's hand on his cheek for a second time.

Elizabeth also insisted that Will stay in the guest bedroom. He had to admit, it had been a bit of a relief, for he had not anticipated the overwhelming feelings he had experienced on the first night back. Feelings of extreme want and desire… longing. When they had kissed, Will felt fire spread throughout his body, searing through his veins like he had never known before.

He was lucky Elizabeth insisted he stay in the guest bedroom; because he was afraid he would have done something wicked that he would regret. Something he'd been longing to do out at sea. Three years was a very long time not to feel the warmth of a woman. But he would wait, and respect Elizabeth. Whenever she was ready, he would be ready too.

So Will laid there that morning in the small single bed, arms stretched out behind his head as he stared out the window, watching the tree just outside, waiting for his songbird friend. For the past week, he had kept out of sight, not wanting to upset Elizabeth or scare Luke by his presence.

It was hard; he had to admit. To be confined to the small room day after day, and only emerge when Luke went to sleep. He often found himself extremely bored and restless, because Elizabeth only frequented to drop off his meals. To remedy the restlessness, had taken up the art of sketching. Elizabeth had been kind enough to provide the materials, and Will would often sit at the big wooden desk by the window and sketch what he saw outside.

His prize sketch so far was the detailed drawing of the songbird that frequented every morning. His songbird friend. When it would land, Will would pull out the charcoal and parchment and finish detailing the preliminary sketch he had started a few days ago.

It wasn't the high life, but he wasn't complaining. Elizabeth assured him that on Saturday, he would meet his son.

So when the songbird came close enough to be seen through the window that morning, Will rushed to the desk and pulled out the messy charcoal and finished the detailing, the black powder smudging his fingers and hands, and just about anything else it came into contact with.

Once he was satisfied with the outcome, he titled it.

'My songbird, Elizabeth'.

* * *

"Lukey! Lukey darling, how about we play a game?" Elizabeth asked her restless son, who was currently running around the house, peeking into hidden crevices and corners. There _was_ something hidden, and he was going to find it. 

"Come here, Luke." Elizabeth said in her warning voice.

Luke knew to obey when mama used her warning voice, so he got up from trying to see what was behind the liquor cabinet and trotted over to her by the sofa.

"How about we play a game?" Elizabeth repeated, leaning down so she was eye to eye with Luke.

"Game? Game!" He clapped his little hands. "Hide 'n seek!" He squealed.

"All right, you hide, and I'll count!" Immediately, Luke scurried away and ran to look for a place to hide.

"One. Two. Three…" Elizabeth counted audibly, her eyes shut tight as she tried to hear where Luke might be.

He was currently pulling himself up the stairs, determined to reach the top. On the last few stairs he had to resort to crawling, since it was a fair way up, and he was getting tired. He grabbed a hold of the banister and heaved himself up on the landing, panting slightly from the exertion. Listening for Elizabeth, he squeaked when she was getting closer to ten.

"Five. Six. Seven…"

Even though they had played this game many times before, it never failed to launch Luke into hysterics. Scanning the area, he frowned when he spotted the door of a room he had never been into close.

At once, he bounded up and started running towards it, eager to explore this newfound room.

He attempted to push it open, but it wouldn't budge. Curiously, he got down on his hands and knees and peeked under the crack at the bottom. There was a carpet and legs of a chair, nothing too interesting. Disappointed, he sat up and crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance. All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps could be heard and he bent down again and peeked under the crack.

Legs! This time they belonged to an unfamiliar person, and Luke's eyes went wide. Who was in this room? Mama was downstairs…who could it possibly be? Curiously, he banged on the door with his fists.

Will stopped in his tracks and frowned. Elizabeth had given him breakfast before Luke woke that morning. Did she want him again? He walked to the door and opened it, and almost jumped in fright at the sound of Luke's scream.

"Mama! Mama!" Luke cried, scrambling up and running towards the stairs, leaving a dumbfounded Will in the doorway of the guest bedroom, wondering how on earth Luke knew he was in there.

Elizabeth snapped her eyes open at Luke's cry and bolted up, meeting Luke halfway up the stairs.

"What is it my darling?" She asked breathlessly, pulling him up in her arms.

Luke cowered and buried his head in her neck, holding her shoulders tightly. "Man! Man!" He pointed to the landing at the top of the stairs.

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and comforted her shaking son. She looked past him, up to the landing and saw Will walking cautiously towards them. She motioned for him to stay away with the flick of her wrist.

Will groaned quietly and walked back to the guest room, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had not expected the meeting to be so eventful. Granted, he had not expected the meeting at all that day. He slipped inside the room and shut the door as Elizabeth walked downstairs with Luke.

"It's all right darling, it's all right…" She cooed, rocking Luke in her arms as she sat back down on the sofa.

"What man doing dere?" He asked, lifting his head from her shoulder.

"The man is a friend of mine darling. He won't hurt you. You have nothing to fear." She assured him, using her right hand to cup his cheek and brush the curls from his face.

"He's scawey…"

"Luke, why were you there in the first place?" She frowned, wondering how her son found out Will was hiding out there in the room. She also wondered how Will could have been so idiotic as to open to door without peaking through the keyhole to see whom it was.

"Twying to find hiding place!" He pouted, exactly like Elizabeth did when she was in trouble as a child, "He was loud. So I looked unda the door."

Elizabeth made a mental note to slap Will for this. "Play with your blocks sweetie, mama will be back in a few minutes."

Luke slipped down from her lap onto the floor and started arranging the blocks to form a tower. Elizabeth got up and walked to the stairs, looking back at Luke before ascending them quickly.

Currently, Will was pacing the guest room, trying to figure out a way to fix the mess he caused. He hadn't meant to frighten Luke; it had just happened so quickly he didn't have time to react.

He smiled when he tried to picture his son. He looked exactly like himself when he was young. The same facial structure; jaw, cheek bones, nose. And his hair curled exactly like Will's did until his teenage years, when it started growing longer and straighter. Luke had Elizabeth's eyes though, and the colour of her hair. He couldn't stop smiling at the thought of their perfect son.

Elizabeth reached the door and knocked quietly, crossing her arms over her chest. Will was jolted from his daydreams and he swallowed, stepping to the door and opening it, meeting with her disappointed face.

"How could you be so careless, Will?" She stepped inside and shut the door, "He is but a child. Why did you not look through the keyhole to see who was knocking?"

Will threw his arms up, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, I am. This isn't exactly how I pictured meeting my son, either. It all happened so fast. I opened the door without thinking and then Luke screamed, I didn't even have a chance to do anything." He sighed, "I'm sorry…"

Elizabeth looked at him for a moment. She felt bad for acting so sharp, but when it concerned her son, she only wanted the best for him.

"It's all right, Will. I suppose, it had to happen sooner or later. We can fix this though. If I introduce you properly, I know we can fix this."

She stepped towards him and he opened his arms. She sighed as she nestled against him, burying her head in his neck, warmed by his body. He comforted her without even realizing it. His strong arms around her were enough to put her mind at ease, whatever the problem was.

"I'm sorry I snapped, I guess I'm just not used to this. Having you around the house." She looked up at him, to find his eyes distant, "I know Will, I know. But as bad as it sounds, it is true. But I must adjust, because I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Will smiled and secured his arms around her petite waist, his thumbs moving in small circles over the fabric of her dress.

"All will be well in time. I promise."

Elizabeth leaned forward and captured his soft lips with her own, leaning a hand on his shoulder right by his neck. Will tilted his head to the side slightly to allow her better access to his mouth as his hands moved up from their spot on her hips to cup both of her cherry cheeks. Even when she was angry, he was still extremely attracted to her.

Elizabeth pulled away after a few moments of bliss and licked her lips slightly before moving out of the comfort of his arms.

"You always did do that to me, you know." She murmured, putting a finger to her slightly scorching lips.

"Did what?" He tilted his head to the side, utterly transfixed by her actions.

"Caused me to pull away because of your absolutely invigorating kisses." She blushed slightly and looked past him to the window, trying to force herself not to look into his smoldering eyes.

"I know." He couldn't help but beam slightly at the effect he still had over his Elizabeth. Evidently, he felt exactly the same way whenever they pressed their lips together, though usually his greed took over and he found himself wanting more and more of her, unwilling to stop. Greed was a powerful thing with William Turner.

Elizabeth straightened her dress slightly and brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear.

"Today is Friday. I think…we can forsake one day. Come, I think it's time you met your son. Properly."

Elizabeth took Will's hand and led him out the door and to the stairs. Will's heart started pounding wildly against his chest at the prospect of finally meeting Luke, properly, of course, face to face.

Elizabeth was equally nervous. Only because she was fearful of how Luke would react. She knew Will was going to be a wonderful father; there was no doubt about it. And she knew her son was usually friendly towards strangers. She had brought him up like that, letting the townspeople fuss over him when he was just born.

But Will had also scared him, which was bad. So she would leave it up to fate. She knew somehow fate would be kind to them. It had to be.

**Likin' it so far?**


	5. Of Blocks And Beaches

**Yay, finally chapter 5! Sorry to have you all wait so long for it, but school was being a butt.  
Incase you didn't see my note, I have finally updated chapter 1 of this story. So if you want to review it again, I guess you can double review this story or something. Or review it on my website. Anyways, enjoy!  
**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Five: Of Blocks And Beaches  
**

Luke sat cross-legged on the floor of the lounge room, obediently playing with his blocks just like Elizabeth had requested. He stacked them up one by one, eventually making it so the tower was almost as tall as he was. He took a step backwards and then with one mighty kick, toppled all the blocks over. Giggling hysterically, he plopped himself down on the carpet once again, set to repeat the amusing episode again and again. As he grabbed and stacked the blocks, he didn't even notice Elizabeth walking down the stairs, followed by the strange man who had frightened him earlier.

Elizabeth told Will to stand by the stairs, and she walked over to her son on the carpet. She got down on her knees and picked up a block, "Luke darling, what are you playing?" She asked casually.

"Blocks!" Luke answered cheerily, stacking the last few blocks. He noticed the one in Elizabeth's hand and promptly took it from her, which made Will chuckle softly.

Elizabeth watched as her son stood up and kicked the tower down in a fit of giggles. A block landed a few feet away from Will and Luke went to retrieve it. He then noticed the strange man.

"Man!" He squealed once again and ran back over to Elizabeth, cowering behind her.

"Luke darling, it's all right. This man is a friend. In fact…" She curled her finger at Will, indicating for him to come closer.

Will walked up to the pair and got down on his knees as well, to appear less threatening.

"This is your father, Luke. This is William."

Luke looked up at Will, blinking a few times. He was young, granted, but he did understand it was different in his home. Elizabeth often visited her friends, also with young children around Luke's age. He played with them, and every now and then a man would enter the house dressed in a suit. His friend Annabelle called him her 'father'. He never understood that term. Where was his father?

His father was now in front of him.

"Father?" Luke was still unsure. But then again, Will had a nice, friendly expression on his face.

"Luke, remember the stories I always tell you?" Elizabeth chimed in when she noticed her son was getting uncomfortable, "About the Pirate and the Princess?"

Luke nodded his head.

"Well…this is the Pirate. I am the Princess, darling." She hoped the little reference to his favourite story would ease his mind.

Luke cracked a grin. "Pirate!" He then launched himself at Will, hugging him. Will held his son close; thankful the meeting was not eventful. He hadn't expected Luke to warm up to him that quickly. He had thought it would take a bit more time, but alas, he was wrong.

"Come play blocks!" Luke beamed, struggling out of his new father's grasp and crawling onto the floor. Will grinned at Elizabeth and the two sat by Luke as he started stacking the blocks once again.

"How do you play blocks, Luke?" Will asked the boy. He chuckled, stacking the fourth, then the fifth and sixth and seventh block, one after the other.

"Stack and kick!" He laughed as he stacked the last few blocks up, taking a few steps backwards and swiftly kicking them down. Will laughed at the expression on Luke's face. It was as though he could do it time and time again and never get tired of it.

"You know what I think? I think I should make you some breakfast." Will ruffled Luke's hair. Luke cheered and started for the kitchen, skipping along the floor.

"I knew he'd come through." Elizabeth whispered to Will, who was getting up off the floor. Will helped her up and they shared a quick kiss, his arms wrapping lightly around her waist.

"Well, he was raised by you. So he's bound to be loving and friendly."

"If that's a stab at a compliment, William Turner." Elizabeth raised her finger mockingly at him, a glint in her eyes. "Just go make the boy breakfast."

Will grinned, kissing her on the cheek once more before walking to join Luke in the kitchen.

* * *

"Did you like your toast, darling?" Elizabeth asked Luke as he sat at the dining table, propped up by pillows mind you, considering he was too short to reach the tabletop. 

"Mmmhmm!" He was finishing off the last of it. He liked it so much he managed to get most of it in his mouth, rather than on the floor.

"What do you say?"

"Fankoo!" Luke giggled with his mouth full and swallowed, kicking his feet excitedly.

"You're more than welcome, Luke." Will smiled from his spot opposite Elizabeth at the head of the table. He had already eaten breakfast so he had only had a few bites of toast before he was full again.

"May I please be 'scused?" Luke asked Elizabeth once he had completely finished his breakfast. She nodded and he jumped down from the chair, running out to the lounge room to finish playing with his blocks.

"God…Elizabeth, I still cannot believe…he's my son, you know?" Will had watched Luke throughout breakfast, surprised at how well mannered he was. He felt incredibly proud, of both Elizabeth and Luke. She had raised him without a father figure, and he turned out perfect.

"I know, Will. He's just my everything. I can't imagine my life without him…" She could feel tears prickling her eyes as she thought about Luke, and about every milestone in his life, like his first step and first word.

Will got up and walked to her chair. He cupped her cheek lovingly, noticing her sudden change in spirit.

Elizabeth buried her head in his stomach, sighing slightly as she willed all the ill feelings to go away. Will was here now, that was all that mattered.

"Shhh love, don't cry."

Her frown quickly dissipated into a smirk as she looked up at him, "Elizabeth Swann does not cry."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"And what about that time when we were…oh, sixteen or so. You fell out of a tree and scraped your knee, and I distinctly remember you balling your eyes out." Will grinned at the memories.

"You are wrong! Those were not tears! I had something in my eye!" Elizabeth quickly defended herself.

"Darling, I had to comfort you for ten minutes afterwards until Estrella tended to the wounds." Will resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

"You shut up." She playfully hit his stomach then got up, "Those were not tears and you know it." She stacked up the plates and cutlery, carrying them into the kitchen to tend to later.

"Whatever you say, dearest." He smirked and walked into the kitchen to offer assistance.

* * *

Will and Elizabeth sat together on the couch once all of the dishes were washed and dried. He had his arm draped around her shoulders, enjoying the quality time together as they sat and watched Luke play blocks. 

Once Luke kicked down the blocks for the last time, he announced he was bored, "Beach! Lets go to beach!" He pouted up at his parents, crawling over to them on the couch and hoisting himself up to lean on Elizabeth's leg.

"Pwease?"

Will just about melted and looked to Elizabeth for approval. She smiled and nodded her head, which made Luke holler with joy and run to put on his boots.

"It'll be nice to get out of the house for a change." Elizabeth murmured before she stood, straightening her dress and going to help Luke with tying his boots.

* * *

Once all of the Turner's were ready, they walked hand in hand down the path to the beach. Luke was situated between his parents, both of his hands held by Will and Elizabeth. Elizabeth could sense stares as they passed some of the town's people. She knew the three were going to be the center of all gossip around town, which made her a little uneasy, but she firmly pushed it all from her mind to enjoy the day out with her husband and son. 

Once they reached the beach, they let Luke take off his boots so he could play in the sand. Will and Elizabeth sat halfway down the beach, watching as Luke ran to the edge of the water, laughing and shrieking as the tide came in and threatened to dampen his trousers.

"Be careful, darling! Don't get too close to the water!" Elizabeth yelled to her son, who already had his trousers wet.

"He cannot swim." She answered Will's silent questioning, keeping her eyes glued on Luke the whole time.

"Then perhaps I should teach him?" Will offered, watching as Luke tired of the water and walked a little up the beach to start building a sand castle.

"That would be wonderful, Will." Elizabeth smiled and leaned her head on Will's shoulder, watching little Luke converse happily with himself as he built the castle up.

"Maybe leave it for another day, though. When we're both more acquainted and ready."

Elizabeth nodded her head (as best she could against Will's shoulder) and wound her arm around his waist tighter. For months and months she had longed for Will to come back, so they could be a happy family once again. And her wish had finally come true after much dismay. Sitting with Will on the beach, watching their son playing in the sand was how she pictured life.

* * *

For an hour the two sat watching their son and the tide peacefully, quite in a daze. It was when Luke stumbled up to them and announced that he was hungry that they decided to head back. Elizabeth put on his boots for him and the trio walked slowly back up the beach, with Will carrying Luke on his hip. 

When they walked up the road to their house, a crowd consisting of two or three highly pompous women glanced their way and snickered. Will sped up the pace, not wanting Luke to hear some of the things they were saying.

"I heard the man went to sea for more wives."

"No! He went to the brothels in Tortuga, Gladice! He has probably sired ten children by now. And is only back to escape the responsibility…"

"You shut up!" Elizabeth shouted at the women, red in the face with anger, not carrying about propriety and her outburst. "You women know nothing about William or why he left, so keep your mouths shut and stop spreading rumours!"

With a growl Elizabeth stomped off, leaving the ladies looking shocked and outraged at her eruption.

* * *

"I can't believe those women! Talking about you like that! Oh, I wanted to walk up to them and give them a good slap on the cheek!" Elizabeth was pacing the kitchen angrily, her cheeks flushed and her hair sweaty. 

Will tried his best to calm her down, but it was futile. She picked up a plate from lunch and dunked it in the basin, scrubbing off the food morsels.

"You have to calm down, love. Getting worked up over it isn't going to do you any good." Will reasoned, a dishcloth over his shoulder as he waited to dry the plate.

"Oh but you should have heard them, Will! They were absolutely wicked!" She growled, handing him the clean plate.

"I know. But you can't let them get to you. Nor anyone. There is going to be considerable amounts of gossip and rumours about my return, and it's going to all be horrible and wicked. But no matter what they say, it isn't true. I love you, and I would never, ever do that to you."

He put a hand on her shoulder and she smiled. He put the plate down and dried his hands on the cloth before he put that down as well. Elizabeth turned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her nose in his throat.

"I love you too, William. I know they aren't true."

Will rested a hand on her lower back as he held her securely, rocking her ever so slightly.

"Never."

**Let me know what you think- you know the drill, lol.**


	6. Sharing the Bedroom

**Finally managed an update! So sorry it took so long. School has just been crazy, and my inspiration has run dry. But, being that Dead Man's Chest is coming out soon (oh my lord, four days!) I knew I had to update for all of you ;)  
P.s, I've changed Luke's age to 2 and a half years, and Will's time away to over 3 years, just to make it more realistic on Luke's part (with his talking and walking and whatnot). ****Enjoy!**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Six: Sharing the Bedroom**

That night, half an hour after supper, Elizabeth tucked young Luke into bed. She pulled the covers up to his chin, kissing his forehead lightly as she began to recite his favourite story. Will watched fondly from the doorway, listening as she recalled things he would have really loved to forget, though he kept his mouth shut and let her continue. Once Luke drifted off to sleep, she lifted the candleholder and stood up, turning around to exit his room. Startled at seeing Will in the doorway, she squeaked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Shhh!" She hissed, putting her finger to her lips as she ushered him out of the room, shutting the door halfway behind her, "He has finally drifted off. If he wakes, it'll be a big struggle to get him back to sleep."

"Oh…"

"Come along, then," She put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a nudge in the direction of their bedroom, "I am going to heat the water; you need to bathe."

Will tried to protest, but Elizabeth kept a firm hold on his arm as she pulled him along to their bedroom. She put the burning candle in its holder on the wall, and scurried around the room to light the rest. Once the room was illuminated in a soft glow of light, enough to see everything clearly, Elizabeth stood with her hands on her hips near the end of their bed, deep in thought. After a while of silence, her face lit up.

"William, pack up your things and bring them in here," She announced, a twinkle in her eye, "I think it's time you moved back in where you belong. With me."

"Are…are you sure?" He questioned, frown appearing on his features, "I mean, you're not rushing into things?"

"Will," She rolled her eyes, "We've been apart far too long. Please, I want you back in here with me. This is your bed too, you know."

"I'll be right back," Will grinned broadly, almost skipping out of the room merrily. Everything seemed like it was returning to normal. He was back in his own home, with his wife, and his child whom was absolutely perfect in every way possible. _It can't get any better than this_, he thought cheerfully as he picked up all his strewn clothes from the floor and stuffed them into his rucksack, along with his other possessions.

Returning to his and Elizabeth's bedroom, he found her walking in and out of the adjoining washroom as she filled the bathtub up with steaming water from the pail, heated from the fireplace downstairs.

"It'll be a while yet, love," She murmured as she headed downstairs for round two of bringing up the water.

Will opened his mouth to offer his assistance but she was gone in a flash. He went to the wardrobe where he knew his old clothes were and brought them out, dumping them on the bed to sort through, "Separate the old from the new…" He murmured to himself, making two piles: the clothing from his rucksack, and the clothing from the wardrobe. He noticed a significant difference between the piles. The clothing from the wardrobe was clean and proper, mostly vests and breeches coloured white or a light brown. The clothing from his rucksack, however, was more outlandish and vibrant.

Will folded them neatly and left them on the edge of the bed, waiting for Elizabeth to come back up to tell him were to put them. She soon returned; pail clutched tightly in one hand as she walked through to the washroom.

"Let me help you with that," Will offered, standing in the doorway.

"No need," She murmured, dumping the steaming water into the tub, "It's done. Quickly, get in while it's still hot."

Will obliged and began removing his clothing, his shirt first, then his breeches. He blushed involuntary as they hit the floor, considering it had been over three years since he was last unclothed in front of Elizabeth.

Sensing his discomfort, Elizabeth could only chuckle, "Oh Will, my darling bashful husband, how about you step into the water before you go any redder."

Will grinned and nodded, stepping into the tub and sliding down into a sitting position, the water level rising to his navel. Elizabeth handed him a washcloth and a cake of soap, and he began scrubbing away the dirt and grime from his otherwise smooth and tanned skin, apart from a few scarred areas. Elizabeth dragged a stool over and sat down beside the tub, watching him wash. He was still timid, but after a few more moments, the nervousness eased and he was finally able to relax. He slid down further into the water, trying to make it so it rose higher to warm his body.

"Let me do your back," She offered, reaching into the tub for the floating washcloth and soap.

"All right," Will rose to a sitting position again, the water dripping down his smooth, shining back. He leaned forward, and Elizabeth lathered up the washcloth, rubbing it in circles over his flesh. She silently admired his delicious skin and couldn't resist touching him with her fingers. He felt so soft, yet firm at the same time. She was in heaven.

"Elizabeth?" Will questioned after a minute when all he felt were fingers on his back.

"Hmm?" She snapped back to reality and withdrew her hand, shaking her head at the way she just lost herself. She finished up quickly and washed off the soap from his back, "Finished, love."

"Thank you. I always have a hard time reaching behind me," He smiled and rose from the tub, and Elizabeth went to get him a towel. He stepped out of the tub and dried himself off, then wrapped the towel around his waist, tucking it in firmly at his side as he walked into the bedroom. Picking out his sleeping trousers, he pulled them on and then went about drying his slightly damp hair, which was clinging to the nape of his neck.

Elizabeth went about transferring his clothes back into their rightful place in his drawer space. She took out Luke's things and gently put them into the wardrobe, smiling as she fingered his little sock and bonnet. She spied Will who was still drying his hair and tip toed behind him, resting her head in the middle of his bare back. He smiled softly and finished drying his hair.

"I've missed this," Elizabeth whispered and kissed his skin, splaying her hands on his shoulders.

"So have I," Will conceded, turning in her embrace and wrapped his arms around her lithe waist. Elizabeth buried her nose in his throat and breathed in his divine scent. He rubbed her back in circles, resting his cheek against the side of her head. She looked up at him lovingly and cupped his face, leaning upwards and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Will tilted his head to the side and let his tongue slip into her mouth. She met his with her own, stroking delicately, emitting soft whimpers from the back of her throat as she succumbed to the luscious moisture of his mouth. He planted his hands on her hips, pulling her body closer into the warmth of his own.

When she had to pull away for air, Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder, content to be surrounded by his strong arms, which enveloped her form and held her tightly.

After a few moments, Will broke the silence, his fingers stroking lightly up and down her side, "Elizabeth?"

"Mmm?" She tilted her head up to look at him.

"Want to get under the covers?" He smiled and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

She nodded with a small smile, taking his hands and leading him over to the bed. Will pulled back the covers and Elizabeth crawled in. He slid in after her and pulled the covers up to their chins. He was almost afraid to move, for he hadn't shared a bed in a long time. When Elizabeth fell asleep, he lay stiffly beside her, afraid to turn over lest he wake her up. As he drifted off to sleep, he vaguely remembered her hand gripping his.

* * *

Elizabeth stirred in the middle of the night, scarcely aware of the slight chilliness in the bedroom until she physically opened her eyes and woke up completely. She shivered and reached for the covers, trying to pull them up higher but found they were stuck. Confused, she felt around the bed and her hand came in contact with a shoulder. She remembered that she was now sharing a bed with her husband. Will grumbled something inaudible when her hand came into contact with his shoulder and he turned over, back facing her, pulling the covers tighter around him. 

Elizabeth frowned and was mildly annoyed, the covers now almost completely off of her and around Will. Granted, when he was away, she felt lonely and incredibly depressed, but she had the bed all to herself and could wrap herself in a cocoon of sheets to her hearts content. She cursed herself mentally and remembered that she was still always cold without his warm body next to hers, even though she had the blankets all to herself. Will made the bed warm, and without him, she would be forever cold.

With that knowledge, Elizabeth snuggled up to his back, trying her best to wrap herself in what little covers were left. Soon she gave up, and settled for the warmth his body provided. She rested her head against his back and slowly drifted back to sleep, the sound of his breathing calming her.

* * *

As the sun streamed through the open curtains, Will's eyes fluttered open. He felt Elizabeth pressed against his back, which made his heart flutter and his mouth curve upwards into a smile. Moving her hand gently from around his middle, he moved forward and stepped out of bed, Elizabeth's head lolling lightly onto the pillow. He pulled the covers over her body to her chin and went to change. 

Will washed his face in the leftover water from his bath the previous night, feeling his chin and noticing it was coarse and prickly. He pulled his hair into a ponytail, tying it up with a thin piece of cloth, looking around the washroom for the cabinet. He took a chance and kneeled down to open it up, spying his shaving knife still there, inanimate and slightly dusty, but still there. He picked it up and blew the dust off, going to the tub to wash it off. When it was clean, he lathered up his chin with soap and sat down on the stool, leaning over the tub as he began shaving. He scraped the knife down his chin, shaking the excess soap and hair off into the tub. Suddenly, he heard a knock downstairs.

Elizabeth stirred when she heard somebody knocking on the door downstairs. She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, yawning profusely, "Will?"

He poked his head out from the washroom, half of his chin still covered in the soap, "Morning, love. Sleep well?"

"Indeed," Elizabeth fought a chuckle at the sight of his face, "Somebody's at the door, would you pass me my robe?" She pointed to the chair in the corner.

Will walked over and picked up her cream coloured robe, bringing it over to her, mindful not to drip any soap on it. Elizabeth slipped it around her shoulders and buttoned it up at the front, so that her chest was concealed, and made her way downstairs, noticing that Luke's door was still closed halfway. _He must still be sleeping_, she thought as she hurriedly walked down the stairs, past the lounge and to the hall.

The knocking continued, "Yes, yes, I'm coming…" She mumbled to herself, quickly checking her appearance in the hallway mirror before she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Father! Do come-" She was interrupted by Weatherby, who pushed his way inside.

"I want that man to explain himself at once!"

**Oh my, Weatherby aint too happy with Willy boy xD Poor guy.**


	7. Forgiveness, Maybe So

**I did not want my ideas to go to waste, therefore, I bring you another update! Enjoy :D**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Seven: Forgiveness, Maybe So  
**

_"I want that man to explain himself at once!"_

"Father, you must calm down!" Elizabeth could sense her father was on the verge of cracking completely, which was not a good thing due to his failing health. His face was bright red, his hands were clenched tightly by his sides, and she swore she could see his teeth gritted. Elizabeth worried about Weatherby, for his health over the past year had not been good at all. The doctors that had visited all diagnosed a weak heart, and had warned her father not to get overly excited or tense, to stay calm, lest he have an attack of some sorts. And right now, Weatherby was anything but calm.

"I will not calm down, Elizabeth! Where is that man?" Weatherby walked deeper into the house, searching around the lounge before he walked into the kitchen to look.

Elizabeth sighed and shut the door behind her. It was then that a mixture of emotions escalated through her. Fear; for both her husband and her father, anger at her father's outburst, sadness at the whole situation. She knew that her father would not react kindly to Will's returning. After all, he had stretched the boundaries in the beginning to allow them to marry, and paid the price later on, what with society's harsh reaction. As much as Elizabeth loved Will, she could not help somewhat feeling guilty…

Elizabeth sat daintily on the plush sofa in the sitting room of the Swann mansion, idly sipping her cup of tea and chatting casually to Mrs. Mary Harding, the wife of one of Weatherby's associates. She was a plump woman, with steal gray hair pulled back into an intricate bun, wrinkles littering her ageing face, and eyes as cold as the depths of the ocean. She gently set down her teacup and turned to face Elizabeth, her piercing eyes narrowing.

"News around town is that you are engaged, my dear," Her face remained the same, lifeless and emotionless.

"That I am, Mrs. Harding, that I am," Elizabeth's heart fluttered with love and admiration for the man that was currently working hard in his shop, crafting swords and saving money so they could have a future.

"Surely gossip cannot be truthful about your fiancé?" Mary added condescendingly.

"That all depends on what the gossip is, Mrs. Harding," Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"So it is true, you are marrying Mr. Turner? The blacksmith?"

"Yes, for once the gossip is true," Elizabeth's insides burned with anger at the expression on Mrs. Harding's face. It was one of shock and utter disgust. If her father had not been seated across the room from them, Elizabeth would surely have slapped the old lady's face at once.

"But why? I cannot understand why you would want to marry that…scamp. It's positively indecent! Weatherby, how can you allow this?" She turned to Weatherby, who was going red from embarrassment. He finally spoke up, noticing the look of daggers on Elizabeth's face.

"Now Mary, you know as well as I do that nobody can inhibit true love. I trust Elizabeth's judgment; William is a fine match, I am sure," Elizabeth beamed inside at her father's kind words.

"Oh Weatherby, I do not think I could ever be as positive as you if one of my own married beneath them. You just wait; people will start talking, and before long, turn on you."

Weatherby ignored her statement, "Mary, I am quite sure they will all warm up to the idea once they see how faithful and loving William is. Once again, I trust my daughter's judgment."

Elizabeth's heart swelled with pride at her father's words, and she gave him a loving glance before sipping her tea.

"And to think, I actually believed the man would stay faithful to you, and stick by you!"

Elizabeth was shaken from her reverie once again from her father's booming voice. Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips indignantly, "Father! For one, I do not appreciate you bursting through my door so early in the morn, ranting and raving; Luke is still asleep! And you need to calm down; you heard what the doctor said! Do not work yourself up into a frenzy!"

Weatherby rubbed his aching forehead in dismay, "I cannot help it, darling. He left you for three years! He left you to raise a child all by yourself. I held you in my arms while you cried at such a thought. It broke my heart to see you so forlorn. I promised myself that if he ever returned, I would not tread lightly."

"Things have changed, father. I…I have forgiven him," At the look on Weatherby's upset face, she quickly added, "I know it may seem hard to believe, but I really do still love him. He knows he did wrong, I can see it in his eyes each time he looks at me. Nothing can ever take away all the pain I felt when he left. That is something that will always stick with me, and with him. We both know that. But ultimately, I do not wish to deprive Luke from his father any longer. He lost the first few years of his life without him, and I do not wish that to continue on. He needs his father, just like I need my husband. So please, please keep that in mind when you speak to him. Please, for me?"

Her beseeching eyes never failed to compel Weatherby to give into his daughter. He could never resist those eyes; they were just like his wife's when she was alive. He sighed and nodded, "All right, darling. I won't shout, but I cannot promise to go easy on him. He needs to hear what I have to say."

"Yes, I know. He is upstairs; I will go get him. But please try to be as quiet as possible," She turned on her heal and slowly walked up the stairs to their bedroom.

Will was vigorously pacing the floor of their room, having heard the commotion downstairs, "You were foolish to think that you could escape this, William Turner…" He mumbled to himself.

Elizabeth came bursting through the door, looking nervous, "Will-"

"I know, love. Where is he?"

"Downstairs," She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek, "I told him to-"

"No, I don't deserve it. I'll take whatever he gives me," Will looked at Elizabeth before walking from the room, heading downstairs where his father-in-law waited in the lounge room.

"Lovely of you to join us, William. And after such a long time, too," Weatherby gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remain composed; for Elizabeth.

"Governor Swann, sir. You must accept my deepest apologies and regrets for leaving. I truly had no intention of being gone so long, but alas, circumstances prevented my immediate return to Elizabeth's side. If I had known she was with child, I would have returned sooner, or rather, never left in the first place," He hung his head in shame, eyes clouding over.

"You do realise the damage you caused, not only to Elizabeth herself, but to her honor and reputation?"

"I do."

"She was absolutely distraught. When she woke up and found your note, she ran straight to my home and into my arms. She cried for hours, days even. She could not bear to go back to the house until she found out she was with child. That seemed to ease the pain. I insisted she forget about you and remarry, but she would have none of that. She bravely returned back here and remained here until the last few days of her pregnancy. She had Luke back in her old room. She was screaming for you, William, and you weren't there. That just broke my heart, and hers."

"Please, enough," Will's heart ached at such a thought.

Weatherby continued, ignoring Will's protests, "She couldn't take Luke out into town without people stopping and staring, without them whispering nasty things about you or why you left. It broke Elizabeth's heart, because she still believed you were a good person. So she just stopped going out, and spent most of her time either at home, or with me. Not that I complained, of course, I was ecstatic to spend so much time with my daughter and grandson. But I knew deep down it was not healthy for her to shut herself off from the world. She needed to get out and embrace life, but she said she couldn't. Not without you by her side."

"I'll never forgive myself for everything that I put her through, sir, you must believe me," Will stared earnestly at Weatherby, "I know nothing can take away all the pain she felt over the past three years, but I promise you, with God as my witness, that I will never, ever leave her side again. I will always be there for her and Luke from this moment on."

"It'll take a lot more than that to prove to me your devotion to Elizabeth, but consider it a start. Despite Elizabeth saying she forgives you, I just cannot bring myself to, not just yet. You left her, William. You pledged never to leave her in the vows you exchanged on the day of your wedding, yet you still left her. I cannot forgive you yet, I just…cannot, " Weatherby sighed, staring and Will sternly.

"I understand, sir, I do. If I could take back the last three years of my absence, I would. But I can't. So I will try my best to make it up to her."

"See that you do."

Weatherby spied Elizabeth walking down the stairs, a little cautiously. She had eavesdropped on the talk, relieved that her father had re-told everything accurately. She didn't want him to go off into fabrication.

Weatherby walked up to her and cupped her cheeks, "Do not fret, I did not lose my temper. But he needed to hear what I had to say."

Elizabeth looked past her father to Will, who had his back turned, staring down at the fireplace, "I know. But I think we can work things out now. Things seem…brighter."

"I should take my leave, darling. Take care-"

He was interrupted by the sound of Luke hurrying down the stairs, almost running into Elizabeth in his haste, "Gwandpa!"

Will turned and watched as his Weatherby scooped up the boy, twirling him slightly in the air before bestowing his cheeks with kisses, "Lukey! My, you are getting big! I can barely carry you!"

Luke giggled as he set him down. He clinged onto Weatherby's coat and looked up at him in admiration. Weatherby was the closest thing he had to a father figure while growing up, therefore he looked up to him. Will was left standing off to the side, unable to stop the feelings of jealousy and regret shooting through his body at the realization of the bond Weatherby had with Luke. He didn't know why he felt jealous, he just did.

"Unfortunately, Luke, I must return home now," He cupped the boy's cheek, bending down to kiss him on the top of his head, "But I will visit soon."

"Gwandpa, look, I have a father!" Luke squealed, bounding over to Will and hugging his leg. Will's frown turned into a broad grin as he bent down and picked Luke up, holding him on his hip. Luke looked over at Weatherby, pointing to Will excitedly.

"I know, Lukey," He smiled at the pair before turning to Elizabeth, "I shall see you soon." Kissing his daughter's cheek, he waved to Luke before walking out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

"Bye Gwandpa!" Luke waved at the door before wriggling from Will and trotting into the kitchen, wanting his breakfast. Elizabeth followed him in, where she cooked him some porridge.

In the lounge, Will sat down on the sofa, going over the events of the morning in his head. He could tell Weatherby was angry, and hurt as well, but he swore he detected something else in his eyes…relief. He knew Weatherby well enough, that all he wanted was Elizabeth to be happy. And apparently, she was happy now that Will had come home. At least, he thought, I can take comfort in that.

Elizabeth poked her head out from the kitchen, spying him sitting rigidly on the sofa, "Will, darling, let me make you some porridge."

Will snapped his head up to meet her gaze, "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth frowned, "For what?"

"For everything."

**I firmly believe Weatherby would secretly be happy to see Will xP He is such a softy, despite his pompousness. Plus, I like making Weatherby nice in fanfictions :P**


	8. All He Could Do Was Try

**Wow, it's been a while, eh? Sorry for the lack of updates, but really, I'm getting quite sick of this story. Yeah yeah, I know, I have readers and whatnot. But I'm sorry, when updating becomes a painful task, one I never want to do, then it's an indication the story has to be finished, and quick.**

**I have a few ideas from a member on hidetherumDOTnet that I plan to use for the next chapter. Chapter 10 will probably be them working it all out. And chapter 11...a smut chapter. Because we all know I'm the queen of smut and it just isn't a Melleh fanfic without smut xD**

**Anyways, enough babbling, hope you enjoy this...blah, short update. I don't think there's any hope for this story so critiquing it would just be a waste of time.  
**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Eight: All He Could Do Was Try**

Will Turner had a lot to think about. They were troubling, pressing thoughts that he couldn't get rid of as much as he tried.

First, there was the fact that he hated himself. With a passion. Each day he awoke, he would walk into the washroom and stare at his reflection for a good fifteen minutes. And every time he did that, he would remind himself that he's doing it for Elizabeth and Luke. He would hang in there, for Elizabeth and Luke. He left them once, he couldn't do it again.

Everybody had turned on him. That he could handle, because deep down inside, he knew it wouldn't be sunshine and daisies when he returned. Of course he expected backlash when he showed his face in town. The women would eye him incredulously and whisper harsh words, and the men would stare at him with malice in their eyes. Will was not one of them. He would never be one of them.

"You never were, fool. You never were one of them," He whispered bitterly to himself one morning as he stared at his reflection, "So what did you expect?"

It wasn't just the town that shunned him. His own father-in-law had given up on forgiveness and relented to the town's cruel expectations that he be punished for leaving Elizabeth all those years ago.

Deep down, Will felt a little relieved things were turning out the way they were. He didn't think it was right that there were so few repercussions for his return two weeks earlier. He had learnt to take each comment with a grain of salt and hold his head up high, wanting to appear strong in front of Elizabeth, for he rarely went into town without her.

But then, there was that other, more sensitive, part of him that caused Will pain each time he was rejected. There was only so much he could take, and one day, he would crack. He just prayed he wouldn't do something foolish, or _stupid_, as Jack once put it.

One day, after his extensive time in the washroom, Elizabeth began to worry. She pressed her ear against the wood and listened intently for any sound coming from inside. She heard mumbles, but couldn't quite make out what was being said. Why was Will talking to himself?

"Will, darling!" She called out, rapping lightly on the door, "Won't you let me in?"

"No, go away!" Will snapped without thinking, and immediately regretted it after.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour, "I'm coming in!"

She turned the doorknob and stepped inside the room and felt her whole world come crashing down. There sat Will on the rim of the bathtub, tears staining his cheeks.

"I'm not crying," He instantly said, "At least, not because of what you are probably thinking."

"What am I thinking then, Will?" She asked softly, sitting beside him on the tub, "I know this past week has been rough on you, what with father, and the town…"

"No, Elizabeth, it's not that," He sniffed, wiping at his cheeks, "Did you honestly think it wouldn't happen? Come on, you're not a simpleton and nor am I. We both knew it would happen, and I learnt to deal with it. It's something…deeper than that."

"What is it, my love?" She asked, cupping his cheek. He immediately moved away from her, afraid he would crack and break down from her touch alone.

"I failed you, Elizabeth," He whispered in a small, almost inaudible voice, letting out a shaky breath, "I failed us."

"No. Don't say such things, William Turner," She said firmly, "What you did was-"

"Selfish," He finished her sentence, "Selfish, inconsiderate, foolish, and most of all, wrong. I left you to satisfy my own needs in life, which was wrong. When we married, we became a team. I broke our vows, destroyed our relationship, and most of all, failed you."

Elizabeth averted her eyes to the floor for the moment, unable to look at him. She feared what she was about to say would break him completely, but it had to be said.

"I know."

Those words hurt William Turner more than anything else anyone had ever said. It was like a confirmation he was a failure, because Elizabeth held that belief deep down inside. He was broken, and it seemed nothing could ever fix him.

"You have to understand, Will, that when you left, I lost all faith and trust in you. I kept thinking, what did I do to deserve this, and what did I do wrong. Then I realized something; I did nothing wrong. You chose to leave, and it was not my doing. I also realized that nothing I could have done would have changed your mind. When you're set in your ways, William Turner, so help me God you are like stone. You won't budge. So, in time, I learnt to accept it. I gave birth, raised my son, and tried to forget about you. But those nights…those nights were like hell on earth. I never want to experience those nights again as long as I live."

"Just tell me what you feel now, Elizabeth. And I want the truth. Don't sugarcoat it because you fear it will hurt my feelings. How do you feel now? Do you love me at all? I want to know," Will looked at her desperately, yearning for an answer that would set his mind at ease but expecting one that would send him into a spiraling depression once again.

Elizabeth sat there in silence for a few minutes, gathering her words, "I should have been honest with you the moment you returned. Will, I don't love you like I used to. I love you, but it's a different kind of love…it seems as if I'm forcing myself to love you. I mean, I know deep down I will _always_ care about you, but it will never be the same…not like it used to be. When you love a person so desperately, you lose sight of reason. When you left me, I was so blinded by love I was ignoring the fact that _you left me_. Will, you _left _me. Do you understand that now?"

"Yes! Elizabeth, I do. You can be sure of that."

"I know you're hurt right now but just take into account I will not give up on us," She shook her head, "I won't give up on us because in my heart I know you would never give up if you were in my position. I owe it to Luke, myself, and you to try my best. My love for you might be shaky now, but if we work at it, I hope I can learn to love you as much as I once did."

The spiraling depression did not come. Instead came optimism.

"Elizabeth, you have just given me such strength…I've been a wreck these past few days. I look at myself in the mirror and loathe the man who stares back. I know what I did was so incredibly wrong, and all I can do now is to work at this with you, because I don't want to lose you and Luke. I think…one day, down the track, we can be happy again."

She stared at him seriously, her eyes piercing his gaze and making him swallow, "I want you to know something, Will. You need to know this. I will never, _ever_ forgive you for what you put me through when you left. You hurt me beyond anything, even though you promised never to do so. Our life may get back to normal, my love for you may get restored, but William Turner, I will never forgive you for what you did as long as I live."

Will stared deep into her eyes as he listened to her declaration. Instead of breaking down and hanging his head in shame, he took each word in with a newfound sense of tolerance and understanding.

"I accept that."

Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder for a moment then left the washroom to dress, leaving Will alone with his thoughts.

Will was shocked to feel an eerie calm wash over his body. It was as if he had just jumped off a cliff into the ocean and washed all his anguish away with the tides. Talking with Elizabeth and hearing her point of view left him feeling even more determined to make a mends of things.

All he could do was try.

**Hope the regulars liked it. If not...too bad :P Nah, I love you guys -hugs-.**


	9. Redemption

**I'm a bit more optimistic about this story now because it seems like my writer's block is fading. This chapter was pretty easy to write out, and I hope you like it. It's also nice and long ;)**

**Full credit for the Norrington idea goes to _Beautiful Disaster_ from hidetherumDOTnet. I couldn't have done it without you!**

**That said, I've never had Norry in my stories before so I apologise if I'm a bit rusty in conveying his character.**

Anyways, onto the chapter!  


**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Nine: ****Redemption**

And try he did.

For weeks, Will did nothing but focus all of his attention on Elizabeth and Luke. He helped with the housework, went on outings with Luke, went to town with Elizabeth, and even ended up being dragged along to a social dinner held by Governor Swann. He couldn't say he felt comfortable about that, but nevertheless, he went; for Elizabeth's benefit rather than his need for social acceptance.

Elizabeth nodded her approval at his appearance before preening herself to perfection, disregarding Will's assurances she looked stunningly beautiful already. She always responded with the same thing, that she wanted to fuss over herself now rather than when they got to the dinner.

Will patiently waited for her, and when they were ready, they walked out to the awaiting carriage that took them to the residence of Elizabeth's father.

Weatherby was rather dubious about having Will at the dinner. He privately confided to Elizabeth that it was because the people at the ball would not take kindly to his presence, but deep down, Weatherby didn't want Will to feel like an outcast.

He couldn't help that he had a soft spot for the boy. After all, he was his son-in-law. Elizabeth, as politely as she could, told him that she wanted Will to come because he needed to socialize and get out of the house. Weatherby reluctantly agreed.

The carriage took the couple up to the front door of the mansion. Will jumped down and turned back to help Elizabeth down. They thanked the driver and walked up the steps and into the hallway, where the butler took their coats. Soft music could be heard coming from the sitting room, and Will could hear the incessant banter of the many people packed inside. Will took a breath and lead Elizabeth into the room, where all eyes immediately fell on them.

Elizabeth ignored this and took Will over to Weatherby. He was sitting on a plush chair in the corner, smoking a cigar with two other gentlemen. He stood up when Elizabeth approached. The two other men took one look at Will and then walked away.

"Father, you know these aren't good for your health," Elizabeth scorned, gesturing to the cigar he held. Once Weatherby puffed out the smoke, Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek, and he smiled. She then nudged Will, and Weatherby extended his hand.

"It's good to see you, sir," Will stammered nervously, shaking Weatherby's hand.

"Hello William. Nice to see you again," His smile was forced and Will could tell, which made him even more nervous, "Well, ladies and gents, shall we all move into the dinning room? I think supper is ready!"

Everybody voiced their agreements and started moving off to the dinning room. Will looked over to the door and noticed James Norrington standing there, staring directly at him. He tried to ignore this, and followed Elizabeth into the dinning room.

Dinner went smoothly. Will had never seen so much food in his life before; the main course consisted of turkey and potatoes, with a side of vegetables. Will smothered melted butter on his potatoes and took a bite, relishing in the creamy texture and tenderness of it all. He was in heaven. Dessert was a delicious chocolate pudding, coupled with wine of the finest quality. Will whispered to Elizabeth that he hadn't had chocolate since he was a boy; when he was once invited over for supper at the Swann mansion. He remembered that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when the maids brought out the squares of chocolate for dessert. Elizabeth laughed, and resumed her meal.

Once everybody had full stomachs, they all went back into the sitting room to rest, smoke, listen to the soothing instrumental music, and chat. Elizabeth sat by her friend Emily and relived childhood memories, laughing at all the silly things that the two got up to. Will sat stiffly next to her, listening passively. He casually looked around the room at the guests; some were plump and fat, others were skinny and bony, mostly the women. They all had one thing in common though; they were filthy rich.

All through his adolescent years, Will had been filled with such jealousy at what Elizabeth had, even though he never let on. He couldn't help it. Whenever he visited her at her home, he had to crane his head back to take in the whole building in its entirety. Will's home, as a teen, was the back room of the smithy whilst he was an apprentice for Mr. Brown. Before that, as a child, he lived with a kind woman and her seven children in a run-down, shack like house in town. Both of these were neither spectacular, nor accommodating. Elizabeth's home was like a palace, and to this day, he had never seen another that could match its brilliance.

"Will?" Elizabeth's voice broke him out of his reverie, "Earth to William!"

"Hmm? I'm sorry, love, what were you saying?"

"Emily is getting married, and you'll never guess who to," She grinned, mischievously and child-like. Emily too grinned, and Will noticed she wasn't at all like the other inhabitants of the room; she was warm towards him.

"You're right, I cannot guess. Who to?" He questioned, genuinely curious.

Elizabeth jerked her thumb over to the corner, where Norrington was conversing with a plump woman, who looked to be in her sixties.

"James? James Norrington?"

Elizabeth nodded vigorously and Will smirked. Finally, James had moved on from Elizabeth. When Will had proposed to her, it was a known fact that James was less than pleased. He was so set on marrying Elizabeth, and Will was just one little obstacle in the way. After many confrontations and arguments, Weatherby stepped in and told James to respect his wishes, for he gave Will and Elizabeth his blessing. Will privately thanked Weatherby from the bottom of his heart, and James never bothered them again; he was defeated.

When Will left, James was genuinely concerned for Elizabeth; any romantic feelings he still harboured for her was pushed from his mind while he did his best to comfort her. Once a few weeks passed, James began to realise Will was not coming back, and that his chance had arrived. With Weatherby's blessing, he proposed to Elizabeth. Much to his dismay, she declined. The only honorable thing he could do was to walk away and leave it be. He thought that perhaps, in time, Elizabeth would relent and they would marry. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years, and James finally moved on. Emily and he met at a ball, and he was awestruck. From then on, Elizabeth was only a dear friend.

"Yes. Emily tells me they met at a ball and instantly clicked. Isn't that wonderful?"

Will nodded with a warm smile on his face, "It is. Congratulations, I wish you two a long and happy life together! But you must excuse me now, I need something to drink," He stood and walked over to the liquor cabinet to pour himself some more wine.

Will noticed something. All the tension and uneasiness he felt when he first stepped into the room was practically gone by now. People stopped staring daggers at him and just went about their business. Why they cared in the first place, why _anyone_ cared in the first place, was something Will could not understand. Elizabeth had explained to him one night that it was because Port Royal was a small town, and word got around quickly. She also said that it was because people on the island were an extremely prejudiced community, and are not one to forgive easily.

"Ah, finally, we get a chance to talk."

Will whirled around and was face to face with James Norrington. He took a step back, uncomfortable in such close proximity to him.

"Evening, James," Will nodded, taking a sip from his glass. James poured himself a drink, of rum, and sipped it.

"So, the infamous Will Turner has returned to Port Royal. I have to say, I'm surprised. I didn't think you would," Norrington spoke, with a hint of malevolence in his tone. Will could sense it easily, and it caused him uneasiness once again.

"Well, I'm always full of surprises, you should know that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some air," He made for the door, not wanting to test his patience with the Commodore. He walked down the front steps and onto the gravel, standing off to the side with his drink. Not a minute later, James appeared.

"You know, it's rude to walk away from people. But wait, you already did that. Your own wife!" He shook his head, "Pity. She was just starting to warm up to you."

"James, I've no desire to discuss such personal matters with anyone, especially the likes of you. So if you'll be so kind as to leave me be, that would be wonderful," Will muttered through gritted teeth, his patience waning.

"You misunderstood me, Turner. I just want to chat; a friendly chat between old chums. Sound good?"

"No, not really."

"Tough. You need to hear this," He lowered his voice to a whisper, "How could you do it? How could you just hurt her like that? More importantly, how could you hurt her then gain forgiveness afterwards? Do you feel proud? Accomplished? You disgust me."

Will stared at the other man in shock. The shock he felt was directed mostly at the fact that James seemed to actually care about Elizabeth. He seemed genuine enough. Despite that, Will did not want to talk about his past, especially not to one of Elizabeth's former suitors.

"I suppose you've heard about my engagement to Emily Rose?"

"I have."

"Then listen carefully, Turner," James pressed his finger into Will's shoulder, "You listen good. I might be getting married to another woman, but I will always care for Elizabeth. You, on the other hand, are lower than low, and quite despicable. I sincerely hope Elizabeth comes to her senses, leaves you, marries another, and brings up the boy in a respectable household, free of _pirates_," He spat the last word with blatant disgust.

Will's blood boiled with pent up anger as James continued to badger him. Oh, he knew most of it was warranted, but when it came down to his and Elizabeth's relationship, or Luke, he would not stand for it. He clenched his fist tightly and moved away from James, "I don't have to listen to this…"

When James clamped his hand down on Will's shoulder, it was the last straw. Will spun around and in an instant his fist collided with James's jaw, sending him reeling backwards. Will shook his aching hand, his knuckles red raw.

James caught himself and clutched his jaw, seething with anger, "Bad move, Turner. Once you hit a man, there's no turning back. Come on," He raised his fists, ready to fight with Will.

Will shook his head, "Enough."

James then lunged forward and kicked Will in the gut, causing him to cough and splutter as he got winded. Will reached for James's shoulders and pushed him away, then charged, tackling him to the ground.

When the band paused briefly, Elizabeth heard yells over the dying chatter in the sitting room. Looking around, it appeared nobody else heard it, so she excused herself from Emily and went to investigate. She peered outside and almost had a heart attack at the sight of Will and James fighting. She rushed outside and started yelling at them to stop.

Will had James pinned to the ground and couldn't hear Elizabeth at all, despite knowing she was there. It was as if there was a barrier between them at that moment, and all he wanted to do was to hit something.

Just as Will was about to punch James again in the face, Elizabeth lunged at him and grabbed his arm, stopping him from doing so. Will snapped out from his aggressive stance and looked down. James's nose was bleeding, and he had a bruised eye. Will was not in any better shape either; he had a black eye and a cut across his cheek, and a massive bruise across his stomach where James had kicked him.

In an instant, Will moved off the battered man and cowered at Elizabeth's feet. He was not proud, and he did not feel accomplished. He was truly disgusted at himself, "What have I done…?"

"What in God's name do you two think you're doing!" She yelled. Instead of helping Will, Elizabeth first went to James, as he seemed more injured. She helped him to his feet, dusting him off, "Are you all right, James?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Just a few bruises here and there. I don't know what came over me," He did a very honorable thing and extended his hand for Will to take. Will reluctantly took it and hauled himself up, nursing his cheek with one hand and clutching his stomach with the other.

"I…Elizabeth, please-"

"I think it's time for us to take our leave. James, go to the kitchen and cook will put a cold piece of meat on your wounds. My deepest apologies, tell my father I will speak with him soon, as well as Emily," With that, she took Will's hand and dragged him down the drive to the awaiting carriage.

Not a word was spoken between Elizabeth and Will on the ride home. Will could tell Elizabeth was extremely disappointed with him. He could feel it whenever she let out a heavy sigh. What had he done? This was supposed to be a night where he redeemed himself; instead, he feared he made things worse.

It was safe to say it was going to be a long night.

**I hope you liked it! **


	10. There Is No Such Thing As Perfection

**Just a short chapter to get back into things, and to let you all know I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth :P I'm starting University soon which I'm both scared and excited about. Not sure how much free time i'll have when I start, though.**

**Anyway, I can't really see this story going much further. Maybe another chapter or two. I think i'll throw in a love scene, just because there's a lack around fanfiction these days :P**

**One more thing, i'm going to take this change to pimp my website, Melleh's Lair (you can find the link on my profile). I have all my fanfictions and music videos up, and now you can subscribe to my website (you'll receive an email when I update it. You can find the form on my home page).**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**Gone But Not Forgotten**

**Chapter Ten: There Is No Such Thing As Perfection  
**

"Hold still," Elizabeth murmured as she delicately dabbed Will's cheek with a damp cloth, trying to clean off the drying blood. She kept her eyes down, refusing to meet his gaze, "Remove your shirt," She instructed, dipping the bloodied cloth into a basin full of cool water. 

Will did as he was told and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the nasty bruise to the left of his navel. Elizabeth pressed the cool cloth to it, and Will winced at the contact, even though she was gentle.

"Would you please talk to me," Will whispered meekly, "I know I've wronged you, again. I just-"

Elizabeth cut him off, "There is nothing to be talked about, Will. I know you dislike the Commodore so, but I would have thought you had enough self-control not to lash out like that," Her eyes were heavy as she pressed the cloth to his bruise, "I'm just so disappointed in you." She ended and removed the cloth, wringing out the excess in the basin.

"I'm going to retire, Will. I'm just so weary," With that, she stole one last look at him and walked out of the kitchen, heading upstairs.

Will sat on the chair in the kitchen, probing his wounds and staring down at his lap. He didn't even know what to think anymore. He hated when Elizabeth was disappointed in him, but of course, he knew it was warranted. Why did he act so reckless when he knew he was already walking on shaky ground?

"Jack always said you did stupid things. He was right," Will murmured to himself, snaking his fingers through his unruly locks, trying to get the knots out.

Will's weaknesses were not physical. He would gladly grab a sword and charge at an enemy, even if they were seven feet tall. He was not afraid to die, especially if it meant protecting the ones he cared for most.

Will had one weakness and one weakness only. Elizabeth.

The shame he felt when he disappointed her was unbearable. It was like a knife, scraping his insides and making him feel ill. He strived to be a good husband and father, but sometimes he wasn't, which killed him a little bit inside. He hurt Elizabeth in the part and he never wanted to again, but of course, he always seemed to.

After what seemed like an eternity, Will finally walked upstairs to change and get into bed. He slowly opened the door of his and Elizabeth's room, stepping inside and shutting it behind him. Walking over to his dresser, he changed into his sleeping clothes, mindful of his throbbing wounds. He stole a glance at Elizabeth; she was curled up on her side facing away from him. Walking over to the bed, he got under the covers and laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

After a few minutes Elizabeth turned over and stared at him in the fading light, and then spoke, "I'm not angry, Will."

"But you're disappointed in me."

"I know. But I think there will always be times where I'm disappointed in you, and you me. There is no such thing as perfection, after all. I appreciate the effort you've made these past few weeks, I do. But you have to stop torturing yourself, day in day out, trying to impress me. Stop. Just act like the Will I fell in love with, and we will be all right."

"But I have to, I mean, look at what I've put you through. I need to make it up to you somehow," Will protested, trying to roll over slightly to face her.

"Do you love me? Do you love Luke?" She asked bluntly.

"Of course. More than anything," Will replied without hesitation, "You and Luke are my whole world."

"Then you've made it up to me. When you left, I thought that was it; that you abandoned me because you didn't love me. But you returned, and even though I will never forget that you left in the first place, it's comforting to know you still love me. So you have made it up to me, in that sense. So just relax now, Will. Stop trying to be the perfect husband and father, because you're not and never will be, and you'll just be torturing yourself if you try."

Will needed a moment to take in everything she was saying. He couldn't help but smile though. Like always, Elizabeth spoke wisely.

"You don't have to say anything," Elizabeth chuckled, "Just get some rest. You must be tired after all the fighting."

"I was winning, though," Will jested.

"Yes, you just keep thinking that, love," She kissed his forehead tenderly, and Will couldn't help but chuckle.

**Very short, I know, but oh well.**


	11. One Year Later

**Finally finished this train-wreck of a story! I really had to push myself, so this chapter probably isn't the best. It's more of a quick wrap-up ending type thing, but whatever. I truthfully am happy this story is finished, because I really dislike it. That's not to say I don't appreciate all the reviews and support I've gotten, because I do! You guys rock! Maybe someday there will be more fics in the works, but for now...enjoy this.**

**M rated chapter, I tried to keep it tasteful though...even though I'm such a smut lover :P  
**

**One year later.**

_My dearest Elizabeth,_

_You lay sleeping at this present moment in time, curled up on your side facing the iridescent candle by which I am writing this letter. In your slumber, you seem to sense the suffocating heat and pull the sheet down to your waist, revealing a perfectly rounded breast, marked from the over-eager actions of my very own mouth hours before. Even as you sleep, your lips form the perfect pout that never fails to ignite my senses and cause a knot to form in the pit of my stomach._

_My love, you are now probably wondering the reason for this letter. You see, as we were lying together in the afterglow of our passionate love-making earlier this eve (which, might I add, never fails to render me breathless), I could not help but be plagued with thoughts about a certain letter I wrote you years ago. You see, that letter…that horrid, cowardly, vulgar drivel is the only letter I have ever written you. I know nothing can make up for all the pain and heartache I put you through when I left, but I just wanted you to know, once more, how incredibly sorry I am. My actions almost cost us a future, and I will never, ever forgive myself for that._

_My year with you and our son has been hectic and difficult, I won't deny it (who knew raising a child could be so hard?), but it has also delivered me such happiness that I thought was lost years ago. Our dear child is almost four years old, and already the budding swordsman. My heart swells with pride as I watch him play with the wooden sword I crafted for his third birthday. He will grow up to be a great man someday; I just know it. He has your blood running through his veins, after all._

_Did you know that a few weeks ago he revealed to me the stories you used to tell him to help him sleep? You must know I would love nothing more for those stories to become a reality, and hope that tonight is the night that we are finally blessed with more children. I really do hope we can all live out the fantasy that little Luke adores so much._

_I can feel my eyes grow heavier now with each written word, and know it is time to retire and sleep. I cannot wait to slip between the sheets and press myself into you and get lost within the depths of your warm skin. You are a picture of perfection, my darling, and I cannot tell you enough how much I adore you._

_My love for you is eternal, perpetual…unyielding. Truthfully, my love for you cannot really be contained to the written word, but alas, this letter is an attempt to try. I love you, Elizabeth Turner, forever and always, no matter what. You are my everything. You are my life._

_- Will_

As he signed his name, Will took a moment to reflect on the past. It was eventful, to say the least. His willingness to try and make up for his wrongdoings had proved pitiful at times, such as the incident with James Norrington. But in the end, he and Elizabeth finally came to an understanding; they loved each other, they were committed, and they wanted to make it work again. They made a decision to leave Port Royal for a fresh start; to raise their son peacefully and without any backlash from the townspeople.

Elizabeth's major concern was to leave her father, and Will understood that entirely. He said that he would not be offended in the slightest if in the end she didn't want to leave. But thankfully, Weatherby, knowing the effects of all the history the young couple had in Port Royal, convinced them to make the move. He was sad and distressed to see his only child leave, but he knew they would see each other again in the future.

The journey to England was long and arduous, especially with a young child, and took many months. In the end, Will and Elizabeth chose to settle down in a quiet seaside town in Sussex, and purchased a small cottage by the sea. Will painted the exterior pure white, just the way Elizabeth always dreamed of. It took a while, but after a few months they were settled. Will had offered his services at the local Blacksmith given his experience, and eventually they had a permanent position for him.

The days were spent down at the beach with Luke, running around and playing in the waves if the weather permitted. And when Luke finally fell asleep, the nights were theirs and theirs only. On the first night in their new house, Will and Elizabeth finally consummated their new life in a fit of passion. They hadn't been with each other since conceiving Luke, and both were nervous.

Now, five months after they arrived in England and one year since they left Port Royal, Will had just finished writing his letter. He read it over a few times and smiled in approval. Folding it neatly in two and delicately writing Elizabeth's name, he set it on her bedside table. As he was cleaning the end of his quill and capping the ink pot, he heard his name and turned around to see Elizabeth sitting up in bed, clutching the sheet to her chest.

"Can't sleep?" she questioned softly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her eyes and yawning. Will apologized for waking her and pulled off his trousers, slipping back into bed beside her.

"I wrote you a letter," he murmured with a small smile, kissing the soft skin of her shoulder and gesturing to her bedside table where the letter sat, illuminated by the soft flickering candlelight.

Elizabeth reached for it and stared momentarily at the intricate scrawl of her name on the browning parchment. She smiled as she began to read, the smile soon fading into seriousness as she took in every detail. As Will stared at her face he could distinctly see tears beginning to form in her eyes. Her fingers stroked the letters forming Will's name down the bottom.

"Will…" she could hardly speak, hardly move, and merely stared into his eyes.

"I thought you deserved a proper letter. A letter you could keep and read over years from now and smile."

"Thank you," she breathed, tears dampening her cheeks. She carefully folded the letter and tenderly placed it back onto the table and moved closer to Will, "Thank you." She repeated, pressing her face into his neck. Will wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

Pulling away and letting out a calming breath, Elizabeth wiped her tear-stained cheeks and chuckled, "Such a blubbering mess." They shared a moment, their eyes piercing each other's, before Elizabeth moved closer to his warm body and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her mouth to his in a chaste kiss.

Eyes closed and sparks ignited on contact. Will trailed his hands down her back, stopping to rest on her round hips. His tongue plundered her mouth and she yielded, breaking efforts to keep the kiss innocent. It was no use. Her fingers delved into his hair, clawing and scratching at his scalp and deliberately tugging on the strands. She wanted him, and she would let him know.

They broke apart a few moments later, breathing deeply and sucking in as much air as they could. His shortness of breath was a mixture of the need for air, and arousal, and when Elizabeth laid back against the soft downy pillows, a look of seduction in her eyes, Will didn't need to be told twice. He moved between her legs and stretched out over her, his body covering hers like a blanket. Elizabeth's fingers began their exploration, moving up his arms, probing his hard muscles and numerous small scars littering his normally clear skin. She craned her neck up and bit his shoulder affectionately, sending shivers down his spine.

"My, you are restless. It is the middle of the night," it was a teasing tone that he used, a rather taunting one at that, and Elizabeth curled her lip in exasperation.

"That didn't stop you last night. Nor Saturday."

"Touché," he flashed his trademark lopsided grin and she grasped the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers and reconnecting their lips. The kiss was unhurried, languid even, and Will savoured it. He adored the feeling of her lips against his. When they kissed, it felt as if all was right with the world, that no amount of evil could ever break the euphoria. It was like a rush; a first sip of a fine wine or a first taste of chocolate, and Will intended to get lost in it for as long as he could.

As they kissed, Elizabeth's curious hand wandered between them, toying with the sprinkle of hair below Will's belly button and traveling further downwards. He pulled away and inhaled sharply at her actions, his breath caught in his throat as he willed himself not to utter a sound (or rather, a moan or any sign of enjoyment), as he did not want to wake Luke. It was undeniably difficult, as Elizabeth's fingers continued to taunt him so.

After a while he could stand it no more, so he reached for her wrists and pinned them by her head, preventing any more movement…or mischief. She pouted up at him, unrelenting in her pursuits to make him moan; now using her legs to taunt. Her toes stroked up and down his calves, curling and even reaching as high as his backside. Will countered with his lips to her breasts, kissing and sucking the supple skin and causing her to writhe beneath him. Fresh love bites joined the ones created earlier that evening, and Elizabeth let out an involuntary moan.

Pressing his lips to her neck, he uttered, "You little minx."

"Oh shut up and make love to me," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Although it was a whisper, it sounded more like a shout in their bedroom that dripped with silence. The words reverberated around the room and Will hazily gave in. He feared what would happen to him if he did not obey. When Elizabeth wanted something, she got it, no questions asked.

Freeing her wrists from their human irons, Will shifted and positioned himself comfortably atop his wife, who parted her thighs to accommodate him. She breathed in deeply as he entered her, eyes closing as the time of night caught up with her. Will pressed his forehead against hers, and they kissed, softly, slowly, lying still for the time being and savoring the exquisite feeling of being at one with each other. As Elizabeth opened her eyes a moment later, she was met with Will's amorous gaze that pierced her whole being, leaving her with a strong sense of security and warmth pooling at her center. She never wanted to leave the comfort of his embrace.

"I love you…" It was a mere tiny whisper, the three words that left Elizabeth's pouted lips, but at the same time it was profoundly passionate and sensuous. Will repeated the sentiments with equal fervor and began his slow, gentle movements, allowing a pace that Elizabeth could match with ease. Though she enjoyed this tender, deliciously agonizing style of lovemaking, Elizabeth wanted, and needed, more. Her hips bucked against him, urging him on with great enthusiasm. Fingers clawed at his back and eventually found their way to his head, tangling in his hair, a few strands sticking to the back of his neck. He could have sworn he heard her growl 'faster', buried deep beneath pants and groans of pleasure.

During the midst of their lovemaking, Will opened his eyes and stared lovingly at Elizabeth. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shut, and one hand gripped the surrounding sheets while the other squeezed his upper arm. With each thrust he made, her face contorted and a quiet gasp slipped out, her mouth open in a small smile. The sight caused a tremor to run down his spine and a knot to form in the pit of his stomach as he reveled in the fact that he, and only he, would ever see her in such a wild, unrestrained, passionate state. She was truly mesmerizing.

"Will…" He was startled out of his fantasies by the mention of his name and a hand on his cheek. A sigh was muffled as he kissed the palm of her hand tenderly, every nerve ending in his body on fire as he struggled to stay composed and to listen to her.

"Please, do something for me…"

"Anything."

"I…. I need more pressure. Lift yourself up, towards me. That's it…oh…" Will obliged and pushed himself up higher. Her neck was exposed as she tilted her head back, and before he could stop himself, his lips were upon her skin, kissing and biting and trying to stop the inevitable release inching closer and closer. His movements turned into rocking rather than thrusting, and for a moment he thought he could actually last for her pleasure this time. Not a moment later, however, his back and shoulder muscles tensed as his climax washed over him, his seed filling her to the brim. Sighing, he felt himself soften and slip out of her.

Elizabeth was undoubtedly disappointed, as she was on the brink of release herself. Will cursed himself over and over in his head for not being able to last and bring her over the edge, and suddenly an idea struck him and he grinned. Kissing her soundly on the mouth, he then moved down her body, pausing briefly to swirl his tongue around her belly button. Elizabeth spread her legs in anticipation of what was about to happen, her body tingling all over.

With Will's head buried deep between her thighs, she writhed and hissed and lifted her hips to meet the sweet pressure of his tongue. A few moments later, waves of pleasure washed over her, spreading all throughout her body, and she felt as if she were floating. She laid there, chest rising and falling rapidly as she sucked much needed air into her starving lungs.

"You're doing that to me every day from now on," she practically demanded, eyes closed.

"Yes."

"That was amazing."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Will smiled warmly and moved back up to lie beside her. When she turned to him he was grinning, "and I'm glad it made up for my terrible performance. Or at least, I hope it did."

Her response came in the form of a soft kiss, palm lingering on his chest.

"I think things are finally starting to fall into place," she murmured, "I think everything is going to be all right from now on."

"I hope so, Elizabeth. I hope so."

Will kissed her forehead softly and pulled the covers up to their necks, both falling into a contented sleep.

**FIN  
**


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